


sun’s up, i don’t really want to fight the daylight

by VITRI0L



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing on the Beach, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No Beta, breaking up, ember island reveals the true you, kissing while in a relationship with another
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26311792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VITRI0L/pseuds/VITRI0L
Summary: “bad luck, i don’t wanna be home at midnight. sun’s up, i don’t really wanna fight the daylight. i don’t care if you move on, i’m not laying in bed with a fucked up head.”-daylight by jojiOr,Mai and Zuko are having their usual relationship drama. After the group fire, Mai stays behind with Ty Lee, and they have a heart to heart.
Relationships: Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (but this ain’t really about that)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	sun’s up, i don’t really want to fight the daylight

**Author's Note:**

> set during the night of book three, episode five: the beach
> 
> we’ve strayed back towards more rare pair territory. also, characters are 18 even though nothing explicit happens.

Mai sighed for what was probably the thousandth time that evening. And she thought,

_This trip to Ember Island really blows,_

for the millionth time. Which was true, but it was all that she could think of.

To be stuck in a relationship, one that you can no longer force to keep going, it was painful. As usual, Zuko seemed off today. He’d claim he was fine, when truly, Mai could tell it was the opposite. Even after the heartfelt discussion everyone (save Azula), had had that night, the prince left when the fire died without a word of goodbye.

 _How symbolic,_ Mai thought bitterly.

She stood up, robes falling to cover her body as she reached up. She pulled the pins from her two buns and let the jet black hair fall down, meeting with the strands she usual kept over her shoulders. She took off her red robe and her black flats, leaving herself in a strapless red dress with dark pants under it.

Mai walked to the edge of the ocean, feeling the course sand become cold and mushy between her toes. Ocean water splashed lazily over her feet as she looked out at the silver moon hanging low above the dark waters.

A rustle made the woman turn quickly, care not to fall into the water. Her heart pounded in her ears, but the fear disappeared when she saw Ty Lee.

The brunet was in the classic tip toe position, frozen almost perfectly still. She was gazing wide eyed at Mai and it would have been comical except for the depressing mood that crushed all her ability to feel any emotion besides sadness and pain.

Mai frowned and Ty Lee relaxed with a pout, crossing her arms. She now walked normal over to her friend, playful defeat glimmering in her brown eyes.

“Dang it,” she began, “I was gonna surprise you but my stupid pink sleeve brushed against my shirt!”

The brunet stood shoulder to shoulder with Mai, and pinched some of her light pink sleeves to emphasize it.

“Aren’t you cold,” Mai asked in a dull tone, pointing at the other’s admittedly muscular abs that were visible due to her crop top.

“Aren’t you,” she echoed, lightly poking Mai’s bare shoulder.

Mai hummed and shook her head, but didn’t shake the touch of. It felt... nice, so she let Ty Lee decide when to remove her hand.

“You know, I thought you were Azula for a second,” she tried joking, but it came out stiff.

Still, the acrobat gave her a bright smile as her arm returned to her side. The joy in her smile made Mai’s heart skip a few beats.

_How can she always look so happy?_

“Well, good thing I’m not! Her and Zuko are off back at the house so... let’s go swimming!”

Mai couldn’t even protest before Ty Lee had her dark pink neckpiece in the sand, quickly followed by her pink crop top. Mai quickly looked away, embarrassed to realize the other didn’t wear a bra.

_Not like I do... but still..._

When the brunet was only left in her underwear, she ran into the water, loudly giggling and saying “cold!” Mai was suddenly thankful that the abandoned Royal Family summer home was so far from other homes.

Ty Lee was submerged up to her shoulders a ways away from the shore. She laughed, the sound was clear and joyous. Mai ignored the way her heart twisted and her treacherous mind for thinking,

_Zuko’s never laughed like that, especially not with me._

_Well, that’s because Zuko isn’t happy go lucky Ty Lee,_ a more rational part of her brain thought. 

She buried both thoughts as Ty Lee called out,

“Come on in! It’s not that bad!”

Mai really had no choice. She pulled her dress over her head, shivering as the night air pricked against her warm skin. She pulled down her tights and tried to protect herself from the cold by wrapping herself in her arms.

Ty Lee watched the other slowly submerge with a big small on her face. Mai was a little embarrassed by the attention but that was quickly over shadowed by the numbness of the water.

Mai gasped as the water rose to her shoulders. All her exposed skin was covered in goose bumps and her arms hugged her ribs so tightly, she was sure her arm muscles wouldn’t be able to unlock.

Mai waded closer to Ty Lee, who was floating on her stomach languidly, eyes reflecting the bright light of the stars and moon. The numbness ebbed away, the water feeling warmer, but the the lack of feeling leaving returned the bitter pain that haunted her.

Mai felt her arms relax down to her sides and her expression must have betrayed her, because Ty Lee frowned and stood up. She let a hand float on the surface of the water, clearly debating reaching out to the other.

“What’s wrong,” she asked, sound sad and uncharacteristically serious.

Mai sighed and hunched so the cool water rose from the base of her neck to the beginning of her jaw. Ty Lee bit the inside of her cheek, eyes luminescent with worry.

“What do you think?”

Her voice was dull and sarcastic as usual, but there was a slight waver. The brunet sighed and splashed her own face with salty ocean water, so quickly that it startled Mai.

“Ugh, your aura is so dark and gloomy, it’s almost unbearable,” she groaned, “You should stop seeing him if he makes you so unhappy.”

Mai frowned.

“If only it were that easy,” she lamented.

A delicate hand was placed on her forearm, and Ty Lee gave her a serious look. Mai forced the tears that threatened to fall back into her eyes as Ty Lee’s gentle gaze burned her.

“Wanna talk about it,” the acrobat asked.

“Not really,” Mai said softly.

Ty Lee nodded and gave the woman a sorrowful look.

“Well, I’ll just say this. You can do a lot better, and there’s no need to be in a relationship that makes you miserable,” the brunet said.

Mai watched as she dunked her head, disappearing under the dark ocean water. The acrobat reappeared and wiped the water out of her eyes, hair dark with water.

Ty Lee pulled her braid over her shoulder and pulled out the hair band, undoing the braid. Her long hair fanned out in the water, swaying with the gentle waves and catching small amounts of white ocean foam.

Mai couldn’t help but think she was beautiful. Silver moonlight illuminated her pale skin, shining in her chocolate brown eyes. The silver light now glittered of the water droplets in those brown locks and Mai felt memorized by the sight.

Heat burned in her gut as Mai sighed, trying to calm down. Her mind, however, seemed to have a different idea.

It’s not fair for someone to look so beautiful, she thought.

“I suppose your right...” Mai began, ignoring her annoying thoughts about her childhood friend, “But he’s the first born of the Firelord and I’m a nobleman’s daughter.”

Ty Lee laughed, the sound resonating in Mai’s mind. She always managed to sound truly happy and she was always genuine about her emotions.  
Something that Mai envied.

“So what,” the brunet asked, “You must marry him just because of your status? Like no one else is willing to marry Zuko.”

“Do we know the same person,” Mai half joked, half asking seriously.

A wide grin crossed Ty Lee’s face and she laughed again. Mai felt her stomach flip and a smile cross her own lips.

“Yeah, you had a crush on him as a child, but you’re allowed to change your mind,” Ty Lee told her, “Besides, Zuko is going to have a good future, I can tell.”

Mai frowned.

“What about me,” she asked, not enthusiastic to hear how good of a future her jerk boyfriend would have without her.

A strange look passed through those wide eyes. Mai thought she’d dreamt it because it was gone as soon as it had arrived. Ty Lee hummed and brushed a stray hair behind her ear.

“I could see a good future with you,” she said rather coyly.

“Could, huh? What do I have to do for a good future,” Mai asked without a second thought.

Ty Lee grinned and moved a little closer to the pale woman. They stood face to face, only a few inches apart. Mai could have sworn that she could feel the other woman’s warmth flowing from her through the cool ocean. Mai shivered and looked into those brown eyes.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” the brunet whispered.

Mai’s heart thudded against her rib cage and she very much wanted to know. Though, a part of her brain yelled at her and told her this was bad.

 _You’re cheating on him,_ the voice told her.

Mai felt guilt squeeze her heart. Ty Lee noticed this hesitance and she leaned away, giving the other some room.

“You don’t have to,” she reminded her kindly.

Mai looked at the dark ocean, her reflection peering back. Emotions tumbled through her as she fought with herself.

 _Zuko’s not even good to you,_ another voice told her, _He doesn’t deserve you._

 _Either way, what I’m about to do isn’t great,_ Mai told herself, looking back to her friend.

“I would like to know,” she whispered, voice catching in her throat.

Ty Lee’s eyes searched her own and she leaned a little closer. Mai could already feel her body burn and they weren’t even touching.

Mai distantly thought that she couldn’t recall a current time when Zuko’d made her feel this way. She pushed all thoughts from her mind as Ty Lee’s gaze dropped to her lips.

“You sure,” the woman whispered, giving Mai one last out.

She didn’t take it.

“Yes,” was the response.

Ty Lee pressed her lips to Mai’s. Mai felt like she could explode as heat ran through every vein. The brunet’s lips were gentle but confident and they began to move slowly.

After getting used to the tenderness, Mai kissed the acrobat back. Ty Lee placed a hand to cup one of her cheekbones and Mai shivered at the heated touch. 

Mai brought her own hands out of the water and weaved them through Ty Lee’s thick hair. The water rippled and shifted as the brunet brought her free hand up, put it on the small of Mai’s back and pressed the together.

Mai gasped against those lips when the space between them was removed. Her whole body was suddenly warm and on fire. Ty Lee’s skin was soft and Mai couldn’t believe how good it felt to hold this woman.

No words could come to her mind when Ty Lee pulled her lips away, breathing heavily, abdomen pressing into Mai’s when she breathed in. Her brown eyes shown with joy and her cheeks were pink, matching her lips.

“You ok,” Ty Lee questioned after a few seconds of just silence filled with gasps and heavy breaths.

“Yeah,” Mai responded, still a little breathless.

Her whole body was still on fire, she was a little dizzy and still pressed against the other woman. As her world steady, the feeling of the acrobat’s lean body against her own grounded her. 

When Mai could finally breath normally, she grinned and began to brush her fingers through the brown hair that they were still entangled in. Ty Lee shivered lightly when she scrapped her scalp, returning her grin.

“That was amazing,” the brunet said, moving her hand to meet her other hand at the small of Mai’s waist.

“Yes, it was brilliant,” Mai responded and then she frowned. “But, I just cheated.”

Ty Lee frowned and placed her head on Mai’s small shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, lips brushing, just barely, the base of her pale neck.

Mai shivered and clasped her hands around the base of Ty Lee’s neck. She felt incredible guilty, and it ruined that amazement that had been their kiss. Mai sighed, and Ty Lee raised her head to look at her again.

“Zuko... I love him, don’t get me wrong. But, I think our time together is over,” Mai said carefully.

“Make sure you’re 100% positive,” Ty Lee told her with an almost motherly tone, “He won’t take this well, you know.”

Mai nodded and felt her heart swell at the way the brunet tried to keep the excitement out of voice for her. The thought of no longer being with Zuko was... strange. Sure, he’d been banished from the Fire Nation for three years, but this was different. The relationship that had always been there, now Mai was going to end it for the foreseeable future. 

“It’ll be weird,” Mai mused, “But, if I’m with you, I’m sure it’ll be ok.”

Ty Lee grinned and leaned closer again. Mai titled her face up, nuzzling the brunet’s cute nose with her own. She broke away and Ty Lee watched her with blown pupils.

“Let’s not do anything more while I’m still in a relationship,” Mai said, suppressing her urge to giggle.

Ty Lee nodded and with a smile, they untangled themselves. Waves splashed against the back of Mai’s legs as she walked closer to shore, the brunet by her side.

The two began to put their now sandy clothes back on. As wrong as it felt, Mai could help the way her heart fluttered when she looked at Ty Lee.

“Ugh, this sand gets everywhere,” Ty Lee groaned, brushing some dark sand off her pink top.

Mai grinned and pulled her robe over her shoulders. She smelled salty, like the sea and she felt warm and sweet, like she’d remembered what love was.

“Alright,” Mai told the acrobat as she put on her shoes.

“Let’s do this,” Ty Lee told her with a smile.

The two walked back to their island house slowly, savoring the time they were spending together. Mai dreaded getting to the house but she loved the whole walk. Ty Lee could make her laugh, distract her and make warmth bloom in her heart. Mai couldn’t help but marvel at the other woman’s attentiveness.

They stopped at the base of the sloop that their home sat upon. Ty Lee tucked Mai’s hair, which was still down, behind one ear and the hand lingered a second too long to be a casual touch.

“You’ve got this,” she whispered her reassurance, “Everything will be fine, lovely.”

Mai coughed as her breath caught at the pet name. Ty Lee gave her a big smile and Mai believed her. She blushed shyly, attention fixed on those eyes.

 _I could drown in those eyes,_ she spontaneously thought.

“I believe you,” she whispered back.

The woman grinned at each other before making their way up the hill, side by side. All of Mai’s worries began to ebb away at the thought that Ty Lee was right next to her.

 _She really is something, and I love it,_ was the only thought that Mai didn’t immediately bury and lock away.

She just smiled to herself.

**Author's Note:**

> i may or may not right a second chapter where Mai breaks up with Zuko and they have a heart to heart. let me know if you wanna see it and thanks for reading <3


End file.
